George McPhee and Laurence Gilman sat together in the corner for a few minutes watching the Maple Leafs practice on Monday.

Not too long ago, the assistant GM of the Leafs had advised the NHL in setting up the expansion roster rules for Vegas, but the truth is, Gilman and McPhee have known each other for many years.

What I’m dying to know is whether Gilman looked over to McPhee and mentioned how jealous he is over the Golden Knights salary cap situation.

We jest, of course.

The Knights are no longer a first-year team but they continue, for now, to enjoy an edge over the rest of the league in terms of their cap situation and set-up. While Cup contenders like Tampa Bay, Winnipeg, Toronto and Nashville, among others, continue to perform cap gymnastics over the next few years, Vegas is in a pretty good good spot.

Which is exactly why Vegas is trying to sign long-term deals with all their key players in order to bring down their AAV. ...